Breaking news

Fewer Indigenous public servants

New figures show falls in the number of Indigenous workers and people with a disability in the federal public service.

The State of the Service report by the Public Service Commission says Indigenous staff and people with disability are particularly vulnerable in times of downsizing.

By June 2012, the representation of Indigenous public servants had fallen to 2.2 per cent, below the Federal Government's 2.7 per cent target.

There have also been retention problems, with the rate of Indigenous employees leaving double that of non-Indigenous employees. They are leaving early in their career, with 16 per cent departing after less than 12 months.

The report says it is "puzzling" and calls for more research.

The proportion of public servants with a disability has fallen to 2.9 per cent.

Growth in female public servants has slowed, and women continue to be under-represented at senior leadership levels.

There was a small rise in staff from a non-English speaking background.